History of the Peloponnesian War

With such words the Peloponnesian commanders encouraged their men. But Phormio, being himself also uneasy about the apprehension felt by his troops, and observing that they were gathering in knots amongst themselves in alarm at the superior number of the enemy's ships, wished to call them together in order to hearten them and make an exhortation to suit the present emergency.

For in the past he had always told them, by way of bracing their minds, that there was no number of ships, however great, whose attack men such as they could not withstand; and his sailors had long since held among themselves the conviction that they, being Athenians, must never give ground before any number of Peloponnesian ships.

But at this time, seeing that they were dispirited by what they saw before their eyes, and wishing to remind them of their old-time confidence, he called them together and spoke as follows:

"Observing that you have become alarmed, soldiers, at the numbers of the enemy, I have called you together, because I do not want you to be in dread of imaginary dangers.

For, in the first place, it is just because these men have been beaten before, and do not even themselves believe that they are a match for us, that they have provided themselves with this large and disproportionate number of ships; then, too, as regards their courage,— the thing on which they chiefly rely when they come against us, as if it were their peculiar province to be brave,—the only reasonable ground they have for confidence is that their experience in fighting on land has generally brought them success, and so they think this will achieve the same result for them at sea as well.

But in all reason the advantage to-day will rather be ours, if they on their side have it on land: for in valour assuredly they are nowise superior, but we are both more confident just as in any way we have more experience.

Besides, since the Lacedaemonians lead their allies for their own glory, the majority of them have to be dragged into battle against their will, for otherwise they would never, after their decisive defeat, have attempted to fight a second time at sea.

Hence you need not fear their daring. On the contrary, you inspire in them a dread far greater and better justified, both because you have already defeated them and because they think that you would not be facing them at all unless you expected to achieve a result commensurate with the very great odds.

For most men, when, like our present opponents, they are equal to their foes, rely more upon their strength when they advance to the attack thLn upon their resolution; whereas those who dare oppose them with greatly inferior numbers, and at the same time without being compelled to do so. must possess in a high degree the quality of unwavering resolution. Taking all these things into consideration, our enemies have come to fear us more on account of what is amazing in our conduct than they would if our preparations were less out of proportion to their own.